United States Senate election in Massachusetts, 1936

United States Senate election in Massachusetts, 1936
1930 ←
 November 1936
 → 1942
 
Nominee Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. James Michael Curley Thomas C. O'Brien
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 875,160 739,751 134,245
Percentage 48.53% 41.02% 7.44%
Senator before election

Marcus A. Coolidge
Democratic

 Elected Senator

Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr.
Republican
Elections in Massachusetts

The Massachusetts United States Senate election of 1936 conincided with the landslide re-election of Democratic incumbent President Franklin D. Roosevelt over Republican candidate Alf Landon (who won just two states against Roosevelt's 46).

The same year Democrats won six United States Senate seats from the Republicans, which gave them one of the largest Senate majorities ever. The Republicans retained just 16 seats.

The Massachusetts election was notable because this was the only state in which Republicans won a seat from Democrats in this election.

Democratic one-term incumbent Marcus A. Coolidge decided not to seek re-election, which left the contest open.

Contents

Candidates

Republican

Democratic

Results

Primaries

The Republican nominee was Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr., grandson of Henry Cabot Lodge, a former Massachusetts Senator and the first Senate Majority Leader. He had never held office before.

Despite his lack of experience Lodge, a moderate-to-liberal Republican, was viewed as a better choice to defeat a Democrat than a more conservative candidate.

Republican primary [1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. 356,756 83.99
Republican Alonzo B. Cook 42,261 9.95
Republican Guy M. Gray 18,076 4.26
Republican Thomas C. O'Brien 6,834 1.61
Write-in 821 0.19

The Democratic nominee was Governor and former (and future) Mayor of Boston James Michael Curley. President Franklin Roosevelt declined to endorse Curley, which may have affected the final results.

Democratic primary [2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic James Michael Curley 245,606 62.97
Democratic Robert E. Greenwood 104,615 26.82
Democratic Thomas C. O'Brien 39,035 10.01
Write-in 806 0.21

General election

General election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. 875,160 48.53 +3.86
Democratic James Michael Curley 739,751 41.02 -12.99
Union Party Thomas C. O'Brien 134,245 7.44 +7.44
Economy Alonzo B. Cook 11,519 0.64 +0.64
Social Justice Guy M. Gray 9,906 0.55 +0.55
Socialist Albert Sprague Coolidge 9,763 0.54 -0.06
Townsend Moses H. Gulesian 7,408 0.41 +0.41
Socialist Labor Ernest L. Dodge 7,408 0.39 +0.01
Communist Charles Flaherty 4,821 0.27 -0.06
Prohibition Wilbur D. Moon 3,677 0.20 +0.20
Write-in 16 0.00

References

  1. ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=572147
  2. ^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=572148
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